dateline 11/23/04
TKC
SPLITS THE AKITA BREED! This just in at
close of the historical committee meeting - Akita
breeders (and judges) around the world salute this
"relief action" by the world's foremost registering
body. "Details Forthcoming" is the word from the
U.K. 12/3/04
OFFICIAL
DETAILS RELEASED
click here
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data
and chronological history provided by
Meg Purnell-Carpenter
Throughout the seventies and eighties, the Akita firmly
established itself in the USA, becoming widely popular with several
taking top awards on the show scene.
Mrs. Andrews sent a pair of youngsters to Australia via the
Overhill quarantine kennels of Mrs. Meg Purnell-Carpenter.
In the course of so doing, Mrs. Purnell-Carpenter, a very
prominent breeder of working German Shepherds, fell in love with the
Akita during what was then a full year’s quarantine.
Knowing dogs so well, Mrs. Purnell-Carpenter began to look at the
breed, some of which had
already arrived in the U.K. The
first to arrive had been a fawn and white bitch from Canada imported in
1980 by Marion Sergeant. She
was Davos Wata Kyshi Tomo-Dachi of Tegwani, affectionately known as
Tania. Marion did much
winning with her in the early days of the Akita in the UK.
The first male to arrive in the UK was Kosho Ki’s Kai Of
Lindrick and Tegwani. His
dam was an American and Canadian Champion and he was imported in
partnership by Mike and Joyce Window with Kath and Gerald Mitchell.
Another import to arrive about this time was the bitch Yikihime
go, imported by Mrs. Beryl Mason from Japan.
These original imports were followed very swiftly by several
other, all from America with but one exception.
 Mrs. Purnell-Carpenter decided it was time to go full out and
bring in a top bloodline from America.
Having become acquainted with Mrs. Andrews through caring for the
two pups in quarantine, she inquired for an O’BJ dog.
The result was a magnificent white bitch sired by the then top
winning male in America, the Andrews Ch. Kakwa’s Orca (pic. Right).
O’BJ White Hope At Overhill charmed all who met her and was
soon followed by the first American Champion to come into the UK.
Am. Ch. Sachette No Okii Yubi was sent to England by Mrs. Andrews
who maintained that she and the Sachmo (left) daughter had a “thing”
going whereby Sachette laid awake at night thinking of ways to thwart
her owner’s plans! Had it
not been for Mrs. Andrews laughing  annoyance with Sachette, a bitch of
such spectacular quality might never have been allowed to leave America.
Sachette was the dam of the first litter to be born in the UK. She whelped a lovely litter sired by O’BJ Aces High on
October 23rd 1983. Aces
was a dog completing his residency in quarantine before travelling on to
Australia where he became a successful sire as well.
Very quickly there were several other litters born in the U.K.
including a Japanese-bred litter. These
first puppies helped to firmly establish the breed in England.
In those early days, the Akita in the U.K. had to compete in the
Any Variety Not Separately Classified Classes, being one of the last
Breeds to come into the country without having to go onto the import
register. The Not
Separately Classified competitors in other breeds quickly became aware
that the Akita was here to stay, constantly beating them in hot
competition to take top honours under not only the English judges but
others experienced in the breed from abroad who appreciated their
presence and qualities.
In a very short time it became noticeable that the Any Variety
Not Separately Classified looked like a class for Akitas with 90% being
filled with that breed. Competitors
in other breeds were relieved when Akitas were given their own
classification.
At the 1985 Crufts Show, Barbara “BJ” Andrews handled
Overhill's Lizzys Girl to Best of Breed AVNSC, the first Akita and the
first American to win this top honor. It was especially exciting for BJ
and Meg as Lizzys Girl was from the first litter born in the U.K. –
out of the first imported American Champion, that being the bitch sent
to the U.K. by Mrs. Andrews! Lizzy and her sisters, Overhills Marlows
Miracle and Overhill's Kita Mori, were out of both extremely successful
show dogs and producers.
As in the U.S. at the beginning there was a great division over
the establishment of a Breed club, eventually four people, two
representatives from each side, called a meeting of all Akita
enthusiasts. There four
were John Dunhill, Jill Bingham, Mike Window, and Meg Purnell-Carpenter
and together, they formed the Japanese Akita Association which gained
acceptance by the Kennel Club in 1987.
October 1998 saw the first Breed Club Open show run by the newly
formed Association and the first Challenge Certificates were awarded at
Crufts in 1990. The dog
C.C. and Best Of Breed went to the imported Am. Ch. Tamarlane’s Veni
Vidi Vici owned by Mike Window. Veni
Vidi Vici went on to become the first male Champion to be made up and
the first bitch was American Champion Goshens Classy Sassy at Redwitch
owned by Dave and Jenny Killilea.
Since those early days, the breed has progressed, not only in the
show ring but in other areas. There
are many Akitas that have passed the Kennel Club Good Citizens Award.
Some have become PAT dogs whilst others have taken to
sledding. There is even one
that is Afghan racing and qualifying in acceptable times!
The English, American-type Akitas has made a great impact
world-wise, many taking Best In Shows and top awards.
Here in the UK, the Akitas have consistently been winning Groups
and Group placements at Championship Shows which must make this Breed on
of the most competitive in the show world.
In a published interview wherein she was asked which Akita not
owned or bred at Overhill she considered to be the closest to the
standard, Mrs. Purnell-Carpenter responded thusly:
“The Akita closest to the Breed Standard would be The Widow
Maker O'BJ, this superb male ‑ a top winning Akita in the U.S.A.
is full of Breed type, the nearest example to the Breed standard. His
outstanding attributes for me would be his wonderful head, hindquarter,
vibrant colour, movement and overall balance. I set him as my ideal. The Akita I have personally owned and bred that has been nearest
to my ideal would be my Ch Overhills Cherokee Lite Fut, a daughter of
the above dog. She inherited her sire’s outstanding movement and
hindquarter ‑ excelling in bone and substance. She was one of the
early English Champion bitches to gain her title ‑ in my opinion
she would compete very strongly in today’s competition.
Breeders in the U.K. have been surprisingly successful in
restoring and selecting for correct ear size and tail carriage and in
2000, two of the top winning Greater Japanese dogs in Europe are
American Imports owned by Katharina Round in France.
The excellent pictorial and pedigree reference
book
History Of The Japanese Akita In The U.K.
Is available from http://www.overhill.co.uk
Editor: We
invite Owners to send photos and if you wish, you may provide breeder,
sire and dam, plus an additional 25 word caption for each photo of early
foundation dogs. Email
packets are preferred but if you have no scanner, send your photos,
pedigrees, documents and other data by regular mail and we will retype
or scan and return everything promptly in the SASE provided by you.
Please note, we will only return items that are accompanied
by the SASE. Thank you.
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